Unlike the movie’s stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, writer-director Ross has not as yet signed up for the blockbuster’s sequel Catching Fire.

According to reports, 55-year-old Ross is after a significant pay rise to take on the project after raking in a relatively modest $3 million to write and direct The Hunger Games’ first installment as well as five per cent of the film’s profits.

Ross also directed Seabiscuit (Picture: AP/Franck Prevel)

As negotiations were said to be ‘a terrible experience’ the first time around, hopes of a quick deal have now been dashed.

A source told The Hollywood Reporter that Lionsgate isn’t accustomed to paying such high fees for such an experienced director.

Adding pressure to the mix, Catching Fire has already scheduled a November 2013 release.

Nonetheless, the insider is confident Ross will return to the franchise: ‘Ultimately, it will be difficult, and yet everybody will do the sane thing, which is to work it out.

‘Everybody will end up unhappy in their own way. It’s just the nature of the beast.’

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Jennifer Lawrence has hit back at critics who have said she was carrying too much ‘lingering baby fat’ to accurately portray poverty stricken Katniss Everdeen.

According to the Chicago Sun Times, the actress told a friend: ‘First, people say how so many actresses in Hollywood look anorexic, and now they are criticising me for looking normal’.

Critics have said Jennifer Lawrence was ‘too fat’ to play starving Katniss Everdeen (Picture: AP/Lionsgate)

The Hunger Games raked in almost £135 million worldwide in its opening weekend.